The Northern Echo reports that two Labour councillors in Middlesbrough have been suspended after paying the subscriptions of new members. Cllr Pervaz Khan, who represents the Middlehaven Ward, and Derek Loughborough, from the North Ormesby and Brambles Farm Ward, are the councillors involved. They are now being investigated by the Labour North Regional Office.

In a statement the pair said:

“We have no comment to make at this point as it is an internal matter for the Labour Party to investigate.”

The report adds:

"An insider from the Middlesbrough Labour group said the councillors had been working hard in their communities to recruit new members by offering to help them to pay their first annual subscription, but neither had broken any party rules."